We are barely starting to feel the first hint that fall is on its way but some people in Jackson Hole, Wyoming are already focused on ski season. Spring Creek Ranch has a deal for budget-minded winter sports enthusiasts this winter. Their Ski Free package gives skiers the option to hit the slopes at either Grand Targhee Resort or Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, both prime locations for making the powder fly.

Starting late November through April 1, 2010 Spring Creek Ranch's "Ski Free" Package starts at $87.50 per person per night double occupancy. It includes a lift tickets to Grand Targhee Resort or Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (up to two per day), accommodations, breakfast for two daily at The Granary restaurant and complimentary shuttle service to town and to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Both ski resorts are scheduled to open at the end of November this year.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates, the world's richest man, has reportedly purchased Irma Lake Lodge in Wyoming, a 492-acre ranch that once belonged to Western legend "Buffalo Bill" Cody, for $8.9 million. The deal was done via Gates' investment manager, the Cody Enterprise reports. The Shoshone Forest borders the beautiful property (above) on two sides and the terrain varies from open knolls to thick conifer forests, aspen groves and rocky outcroppings. Dotted across the ranch are four lakes and three picturesque ponds.

Named by Buffalo Bill after his youngest daughter, Irma Lake is the largest body of water with approximately 12 acres. The estate includes a 15,000-square-foot contemporary log cabin-style main residence (below) with with expansive open spaces and patios, a five-bedroom guesthouse, stables, Buffalo Bill's original cabin, a caretaker's house, and a dairy cabin. In addition to amazing views, there are several species of fish to be found on the property as well as "some of the finest big game hunting the west has to offer."

The Rendezvous Ranch is an over 1,000 acre retreat located for views of the Wind River Mountain Range in Wyoming. The ranch is about an hour south of Jackson Hole and offers ample hunting and fishing. it says this on the listing but it can also be seen by just how many heads, pelts and antlers decorate the rustic log home. The property hasn't been on the market in 20 years and the decor goes from dated to a little bit frightening in some rooms (depending of course on how you feel about mounted animal heads) but you can't fault the scenery. The property includes a main house, a pair of guest cabins, a manager's home, horse barn, riding arena and more. It is a working cattle ranch with federal grazing permits sufficient to run a 400 head cow/calf operation. This ranch is listed at $9.9 million.

Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living large with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.

One of Jackson Hole, Wyoming's popular hotels is for sale. The Inn at Jackson Hole is located at the base of the world renowned Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. It has 83 hotel rooms: 25 poolside rooms, 25 mountainside rooms, 20 deluxe rooms and 13 premium suites. The hotel includes heated pool, conference rooms, onsite restaurant and bar, and a lobby complete with fireplace, deer heads and antler chandeliers. For $33 million you can own your own ski hotel.

The Three Forks Ranch located on a huge 200,000 acre spread along the Colorado-Wyoming border, is a new ranch destination combining fly fishing, horseback riding, sport clay shooting and other rugged activities, along with the sumptuous experience of a luxury resort and spa. The 30,000-square-foot lodge has 15 rooms and details like giant-beamed cathedral ceilings and European hand-carved paneling. The 15 guest rooms have antique oriental rugs, silk-linen wallpaper, Bellisari Italian linens, Chadsworth & Haig robes and L'Occitane toiletries and all rooms in the lodge have views of the Little Snake River Valley.

The lodge's Oxbow dining room offers gourmet meals, afternoon teas and wine tastings. The Roaring Fork Spa has hot tubs, soaking pools, and four massage and treatment rooms, with treatments such as Little Snake River Stone Therapy, Sportsman's Relief Massage and the Catch-and-Release Body Wrap.

The owners of the Three Forks Lodge have gone to great lengths to restore the fish population. A plan led by hydrologist Dr. Dave Rosgen of Wildland Hydrology was developed to reduce erosion, plant new vegetation and develop wetlands, creating the largest privately funded river restoration in U.S. history and a pristine fly-fishing environment. The Three Forks Ranch fishing guides offer custom fishing opportunities for novices and those with more skills. Fishing for brook, cutthroat, brown and rainbow trout is all catch-and-release. The summer fly-fishing season runs through October 31, 2008 and the winter season which begins December 15, 2008 offers cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, alpine skiing excursions to nearby Steamboat Springs, sleigh rides and dogsledding. All rates include lodging, meals, guide, horseback riding, hiking, four-wheeling, and sporting clays and one massage treatment. A four-night room in a deluxe room costs $5000.

Today's home in Teton Pines, Wyoming isn't the most expensive or largest in the region but it has a great open style. I love the homes that take the Jackson Hole style of making log cabins on steroids and turn it into something lavish but also modern and intimate. The home sits on the fourth hole of the Teton Pines Golf Course. It measures 6512 square feet and has four bedrooms. The open floor plan features high pitched ceilings and a juxtaposition of stone walls and light wood for an airy feel. I'm not sure what the upholstered chairs are doing in the kitchen, it looks a little like an office but overall the use of white oak and and big windows facing the mountain views have me sold on this home. Also worthy of note is the master suite which features a fireplace, a dry sauna and a steam shower. This home is listed at $4.95 million.

A new green luxury hotel has opened in Cody, Wyoming. The Cody is located on the west side of town near the Cody Rodeo Grounds, site of the Cody Nite Rodeo and the Cody Stampede. The hotel has 78 rooms with amenities such as feather pillows and comforters, terrycloth robes, oversized towels, coffee makers, microwaves, refrigerators, flat-screen televisions, irons and ironing boards, hairdryers, free wireless and DSL access and voicemail. The hotel also provides complimentary coffee and continental breakfast with a selection of organic items and each evening the hotel staff serves complimentary refreshments and coffee to guests in the lobby. The Cody also features queen and king suites with whirlpool baths and patios and some suites also have fireplaces and adjoining suites. Other hotel amenities include a a fitness center, indoor pool and sauna, hot tub spa, newspapers, a gift shop, concierge, business center, library and laundry facilities.

Green features are in evidence here, not grand sweeping changes but small incremental ones. The hotel offers a GMC hybrid vehicle used for complimentary shuttle service to and from the airport, downtown and popular attractions such as the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. The lobby and corridors feature reclaimed planking and wood trim from buildings in Yellowstone National Park. Sustainable features include low-VOC paint, mattresses made of latex fill and natural bamboo fiber covers, fluorescent energy-saving light bulbs, and organic amenities in the bathroom. Rooms start around $200 per night.

It's not exactly a Frank Lloyd Wright home but it is definitely inspired by the legendary architect. This home near Jackson, Wyoming was custom built for someone who definitely has a taste for the Arts and Crafts style. The woodwork here is stunning, especially the chandelier in the dining room. If you aren't a fan of this style it can all be a bit much but the overall theme is very consistent and rather restful. The four-bedroom home has an exterior of pressed brick, elaborate cornices, and wrap-around terraces. It sits on 5.37 acres and is listed at $11.4 million.

Hotel Terra Jackson Hole is a new luxury eco-boutique hotel set to open on January 29, 2008. The resort, which is located near the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Wyoming is one of a new crop of LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) hotels in the United States. The six-story, 72-room hotel has a fitness center, rooftop hot tub, two restaurants, and a snowboard and ski rental shop. The guest rooms include organic linens and organic amenities such as shampoo and lotion. The rooms are also home to less eco-friendly features such as flat screen televisions and Bose surround speakers.

Hotel Terra Jackson Hole is the first in a collection of Green hotels launched by the Terra Resort Group. Examples of LEED, and other environmentally sound, elements in Hotel Terra include recycled Eco Shake roof shingles, low VOC carpets, paints and sealants, energy efficient heating and cooling systems, water conservation systems, wind power and the use of recycled products throughout the building. The Hotel Terra is offering a season-long Green Ski Package that offers a four nights' stay and daily lift tickets for two people, starting at $303 nightly.

Today's contemporary home in Jackson Hole, Wyoming sits on scenic 10-acre hilltop. The home has a large circular driveway with stone pavers set in a spiral design. The style is of the home is an interesting mix of sharp angles and circles. The home has four bedrooms and with 9497 square feet of space there is also room for a large kitchen, living room, dining room, study, office, game, media and exercise rooms, guest quarters and a wine cellar. The study has beautiful floor to ceiling white maple bookshelves and a stacked stone fireplace, wet bar and surround sound system making it the dream place to curl up with a good book. The kitchen has ebony granite countertops and two islands with sculptural stainless vents, pendant lighting and semi-circular windows. The office has floor to ceiling custom shelves, cabinets and two desks. The master suite makes the most of the views with a wall of windows and glass doors that open onto a private terrace, cantilevered above the hillside. The master bath has his and hers vanities and closets, heated French limestone floors and a jetted tub surrounded by circular glass windows. The lower level includes a media room with a stacked stone fireplace and built in cabinets, a game room with a contemporary pool table an exercise area and a 700 bottle wine cellar. Outside a hot tub on a stone cylinder above the terrace makes a great place to enjoy a star-filled night and stay warm. I'm not sure what the electricity bill is like on this place but the shot of the home at night all lit up is pretty amazing. This home is listed at $8.495 million.

This might be my favorite Jackson, Wyoming home yet. It's a great modern riff on the log cabin. Glass and wood dominate the contemporary home which sits on five acres atop gated North Gros Ventre Butte. The home's large glass windows offer gorgeous mountain views. The beige-on-beige color scheme isn't the most thrilling I have seen but the spare design means that you can bring your modern furniture to your Wyoming home and it won't look horribly out of place. This home is listed at $7.25 million.

I keep checking out estates in Teton Village, Wyoming because they keep building new beautiful resort homes. This one might be the best one I have seen in the region so far. Not only does it sit on 2.45 acres and offer easy access to the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort but this one embraces Western architecture without going cowboy crazy. This five-bedroom home is lavish in the way that homes in the area often are but the use of reclaimed siding and timbers and a restrained sense of elegance make this home seem more inhabitable than some I've seen. All the resort amenities are here including a formal dining room, fitness area, home theater, library and a steam room yet despite the fact that it is 7,000 square feet it seems cozy. So much coziness costs though, this home is listed at $15.65 million. Pics after the jump or larger in the gallery.

Other Teton Village Homes We've Covered:
Teton Village, Estate of the Day
Teton Village, Wyoming, Estate of the Day

We are back in Wyoming with a look at another huge log home fronting the Snake River. This one has 8068 square feet of living space and also has a two-bedroom guest house. The creeks offer fishing and there are 37 acres to roam around on. The home has five-bedrooms, a media room, exercise room, workshop and more, all in a home that, only built ten years ago, still has a bit of an old-fashioned look to it. It is listed at $28.5 million. After the jump, one fabulously rustic library.

An island in Wyoming? Well, sort of, this home in the Teton Pines area of Wilson, Wyoming is surrounded by water. The two acre estate has a full caretakers suite, five bedrooms total, plenty of fireplaces and a large gourmet kitchen. The home has an exterior of stacked stone masonry. Inside the home is a bit of a melding of faux Tuscan with a touch of Wild West. The home also has an 850 bottle wine cellar, three-car garage, large windows and an expansive patio. It is listed at $8.8 million. After the jump, in the winter you can ice skate without leaving home.

This home definitely doesn't look like a cookie cutter log home. The five-bedroom home in pricey Teton Village, Wyoming has its own take on what it means to be Western. The home has a unique combo of wood and stone that gives it a bit of an enchanted cottage feel (although at over 7,200 square feet it's far from tiny). Exterior details include several large deck/patio areas with large in-ground hot tub bordered by a year round stream. It also has an office and a bunk room for the kids. It is listed at $9.25 million. After the jump, check out the cowboy tile mural in the kitchen.